Taiwanese films Dragon Inn (龍門客棧), Goodbye, Dragon Inn (不散) in Pittsburgh, from March 18; double feature discounts (and Taiwanese snacks) available.

The Harris Theater will show the 2003 Taiwanese film Goodbye Dragon Inn (不散) from March 18 through 24, as well as the 1967 Taiwanese film Dragon Inn (龍門客棧) which features in its plot on March 19, 20, and 23. A summary of the former:

Like the Royal Theater in The Last Picture Show and the title movie house in Cinema Paradiso, the Fu-Ho Grand, a movie palace in Taipei, is closing its doors. Its valedictory screening: King Hu’s 1967 wuxia epic Dragon Inn, playing to a motley smattering of spectators, including two stars of Hu’s original opus, Miao Tien and Shih Chun, watching their younger selves with tears in their eyes. Developing the slyest, most delicate of character arcs involving a lovelorn usherette, a Japanese tourist cruising for companionship, and an oblivious projectionist played by Lee Kang-sheng, Tsai crafts a film both powerfully melancholy and deadpan funny. The sense that moviegoing as a communal experience is slipping away takes on a profound and painful resonance in Goodbye, Dragon Inn, a film too multifaceted to reduce to a simple valentine to the age of pre-streaming cinema.

And a synopsis of the latter:

A watershed in the history of Taiwanese popular cinema, the film-within-a-film in Tsai Ming-liang’s Goodbye, Dragon Inn, and the first movie that Hu, who is to the wuxia what John Ford is to the Western, made after fleeing his Shaw Bros. serfdom in Hong Kong to freedom in Taiwan. The emancipatory joy is palpable. The movie’s plot concerns the three marked-for-death children of a framed-up imperial minister as they’re pursued by a unit of ruthless assassins, the Black Arrow Troop, to the Dragon Gate Inn, a remote redoubt where both sides dig in and feel one another out in preparation for an inevitable showdown—but this conveys nothing of the elation of the filmmaking. Unlike many contemporary wuxia directors, including the good ones, Hu painstakingly pre-prepared and composed his films. Here, adapting the music of the traditional Beijing Opera to the rhythms of the fight film, he creates something that feels both ancient and new. This thrilling landmark of film history returns to the screen in a new, beautifully restored 4K digital transfer, created from the original negative.

There is a special promotion on for those who buy tickets to both movies as part of a double feature:

Special double-feature pricing is available when purchasing both the Dragon Inn and Goodbye, Dragon Inn on March 19, 20, and 23 – save $3 per ticket. All double-feature guests also receive complimentary light Taiwanese snacks between the films!

Tickets are available online. The Harris Theater is located in downtown's Cultural District (map).

"Threshold: A Reading & Conversation with Joseph O. Legaspi" at Pitt (online), March 31.

The University of Pittsburgh's Center for Creativity will present "Threshold: A Reading & Conversation with Joseph O. Legaspi" on March 31.

Join us for a reading and talk with poet Joseph O. Legaspi, Global Filipino Literary Award winner.

Joseph O. Legaspi was born in the Philippines, where he lived before immigrating to Los Angeles with his family at age twelve. He received a BA from Loyola Marymount University and an MFA from New York University's Creative Writing Program. He is the author of the poetry collections Threshold and Imago, both from CavanKerry Press; and three chapbooks: Postcards (Ghost Bird Press), Aviary, Bestiary (Organic Weapon Arts), and Subways (Thrush Press).

Recent works have appeared in POETRY, Orion, New England Review, World Literature Today, and Best of the Net.

He cofounded Kundiman, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing generations of writers and readers of Asian American literature. He lives with his husband in Queens, New York.

The online event runs from 8:00 to 9:00 pm and is free and open to the public, though registration is required.

Sushi Go, descendant of Texas Japanese-Korean chain, coming soon to Shaler.

Signage is up for Sushi Go at 890 Butler St. in Shaler (map). Sushi Go is a small chain of sushi places throughout Texas; this one will be operated by Duk Ku Kang, who ran a Sushi Go in Garland, Texas, until last year.

Pittsburgh-based WholeRen Education (美国厚仁教育集团) hiring Mandarin-speaking Career Counselor.

Pittsburgh-based Chinese education consulting and placement firm WholeRen Education (美国厚仁教育集团) has announced an opening for a Mandarin-speaking Career Counselor.

Tickets remain for Pittsburgh Opera presentation of world premiere of In A Grove, based on short story by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, March 1 and 3.

Tickets still remain for the last two days of the Pittsburgh Opera's presentation of In A Grove, based on short story by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, on March 1 and 3.

Music by Christopher Cerrone, libretto by Stephanie Fleischmann, based on the short story by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa

A silent, expectant grove. A violent encounter between a man, a woman, and a notorious brigand.

Seven testimonies, each proposing a different perspective on the crime. Akutagawa’s classic short story “In a Grove,” which inspired the plot of Kurosawa’s renowned film Rashomon, offers a searing investigation into the impossibility and elusiveness of truth.

Epic and intimate, timeless and devastatingly timely, the story’s structure lends itself powerfully to music’s ability to conjure—via repetition and variation—how human perception, memory, and desire are fallible, imprecise, and subject to interference.

Join us for this unique world-premiere experience in a place where the ground shifts beneath your feet—a space of ambiguity and clarity, of beauty and menace, and of fragility and strength.

Readers should use the POASIA promo code to receive 20% off their tickets for the March 1 and 3 shows. The theater is located at 2425 Liberty Ave. in the Strip District (map).

Japanese Breakfast in Pittsburgh, May 5.

The band Japanese Breakfast will play at the Roxian Theatre on May 5. Flood Magazine describes its latest album, in part:

But if its arc echoes that of other great albums, Jubilee is still frequently surprising and adventurous. “Savage Good Boy” is an approachable pop confection with a sticky, snarky conceptual hook at its core; it’s written from the point of view of an absurdly rich man trying to convince a woman to flee earth with him in the face of apocalypse (and who knows, maybe seize responsibility for repopulation! We’ll sort that out later…). “Be Sweet,” co-written with Jack Tatum of Wild Nothing, was meant for another artist but Zauner opted to keep it; here, it casually becomes one of the most undeniable ’80s-influenced pop songs you’ve ever heard.

Tickets for the 7:00 pm show are available online. Printed proof of vaccination is required to enter. The Roxian Theatre is located at 425 Chartiers Ave. in McKees Rocks (map).

Five more Ghibli films announced for Pittsburgh theaters in 2022.

Earlier this week, GKIDS announced the first two installments of its 2022 Ghibli Film Fest lineup. Overnight, the year's other selections were made public.

• Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫)) - April 3 and 6 (English dubbed), April 4 (Japanese with English subtitles)
• Ponyo (崖の上のポニョ) - May 15 and 18 (English dubbed), May 16 (Japanese with English subtitles)
• The Cat Returns (猫の恩返し) - June 26 (English dubbed), June 27 (Japanese with English subtitles)
• Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便) - July 31 and August 3 (English dubbed), August 1 (Japanese with English subtitles)
• Only Yesterday (おもひでぽろぽろ) - August 28 (English dubbed), August 29 (Japanese with English subtitles)
• Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城) - September 25 and 28 (English dubbed), September 26 (Japanese with English subtitles)
• Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し) - October 30 and November 2 (English dubbed), November 1 (Japanese with English subtitles)

Tickets are currently available for the shows at local Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monaca, Monroeville, and Robinson, though more locations are likely to be announced closer to each show.

2021 animated Japanese film Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (劇場版 呪術廻戦 0) in Pittsburgh, from March 17.

The 2021 animated Japanese film Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (劇場版 呪術廻戦 0) will play in Pittsburgh from March 17. From the distributor:

When they were children, Rika Orimoto was killed in a traffic accident right before the eyes of her close friend, Yuta Okkotsu. "It's a promise. When we both grow up, we'll get married." Rika became an apparition, and Yuta longed for his own death after suffering under her curse, but the greatest Jujutsu sorcerer, Satoru Gojo, welcomed him into Jujutsu High. There Yuta meets his classmates, Maki Zen'in, Toge Inumaki, and Panda, and finally finds his own determination. "I want the confidence to say it's okay that I'm alive! While I'm at Jujutsu High, I'll break Rika-chan's curse." Meanwhile, the vile curse user, Suguru Geto, who was expelled from the school for massacring ordinary people, appears before Yuta and the others. "This coming December 24th, we shall carry out the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons." While Geto advocates for creating a paradise for only jujutsu sorcerers, he unleashes a thousand curses upon Shinjuku and Kyoto to exterminate all non-sorcerers. Will Yuta be able to stop Geto in the end? And what will happen when breaking Rika's curse...?

It is currently scheduled to play at Cinemark theaters in Monroeville and Monaca, with screenings in Japanese or dubbed in English, though tickets are not yet available.

Day & Night: a Hobi and Yoongi Birthday Cupsleeve Event, March 26 at Ineffable Ca Phe.

Organizers of local BTS fan events are holding another one on March 26 in honor of J-Hope and Suga's birthdays. It will run from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm at Ineffable Cà Phê in Lawrenceville (map).

"Future Tense: Microcinema Screening" with several Chinese, Taiwanese filmmakers, March 24 at The Andy Warhol Museum.

The Andy Warhol Museum will host "Future Tense: Microcinema Screening," featuring several Chinese and Taiwanese filmmakers and currated by Barbara London and Ellen Larson, on March 24.

We are living in a time of crisis. Anxieties about the future and questions concerning the sustainability of the planet and its inhabitants have never felt more urgent. Future Tense asks how artists approach these and other global uncertainties in relationship to identity, home, and environment. Selected videos highlight both the fragility and resilience of human ingenuity in relationship to nature, space, and place. Collectively, the artists included in this program direct themselves towards the future. They look to the past to reclaim lost histories while simultaneously imagining new possible futures. Participating artists: Imani Dennison, Fang Tianyu, Thomas Allen Harris, Pedro Neves Marques, Joan Michel, Su Yu-Hsin, Wang Mowen, and Zheng Yuan.

The event runs from 7:00 to 8:30 pm and tickets will be available online soon.

Ponyo (崖の上のポニョ), Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫) announced (so far) for Ghibli Fest dates in Pittsburgh.

Each year, distributor GKIDS brings several Studio Ghibli films to theaters across the country as part of a Studio Ghibli Fest, and today two selections were announced for April and May: Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫) and Ponyo (崖の上のポニョ) , respectively.  Tickets are now available for showings at the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monaca, and Monroeville, though more films and theatres will be announced later:

• Princess Mononoke - April 3 and 6 (English dubbed), April 4 (Japanese with English subtitles)
• Ponyo - May 15 and 18 (English dubbed), May 16 (Japanese with English subtitles)

Carnegie Mellon University hiring Assistant Director, International Development - University Advancement; "strong written and oral communication skills" in English and Mandarin Chinese required.

Carnegie Mellon University is hiring an Assistant Director, International Development - University Advancement, with "superior interpersonal skills including strong written and oral communication skills in English and Mandarin Chinese" required.

Carnegie Mellon is enjoying its most productive fundraising years in its history, raising more than $950M over the last three years. University Advancement (UA) supports the entire CMU community in building relationships with key constituencies and securing the financial resources the university needs to continue its ascent. As the division grows, we are seeking an assistant director, International Development. This is an exciting opportunity if you thrive in an interesting and challenging work environment. Reporting to the associate director, International Development, you will be responsible for alumni and parent engagement and annual fund and leadership annual giving for the Greater China region. You will help to recruit and retain volunteers as well as guide them in all aspects of the CMU networks based in the region. Your responsibilities will include coordinating engagement events both in-person and virtual with alumni and parents in the region, planning comprehensive solicitations in collaboration with the Annual Giving team, donor and volunteer stewardship, and personal cultivation and solicitation of prospects. You will maintain a portfolio of 50-60 prospects and will be expected to travel internationally 4-5 times per year for 2-3 weeks at a time (once regular travel to China is possible). You will be an integral member of the International Development team working in close collaboration with the Alumni and Constituent Engagement team.

2022 Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival lineup announced.

Individual tickets are now on sale for the 2022 Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival, which runs from March 18 through 31 at the Row House Cinema. This year's lineup includes:

• The Island of Cats (ねことじいちゃん) 
• Samurai Rebellion (上意討ち 拝領妻始末) 
• Stray Dog (野良犬)

• It's a Summer Film (サマーフィルムにのって)

• Matango (マタンゴ)

• Dragnet Girl (非常線の女)
• Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko (漁港の肉子ちゃん)
• Tokyo Drifter (東京流れ者)
• Poupelle of Chimney Town (映画 えんとつ町のプペル)
• Pale Flower (乾いた花)
• Sonatine (ソナチネ)
• Hold Me Back (私をくいとめて)
• Cure (キュア)
• On-Gaku: Our Sound (音楽)

Plus, there's a collection of "Japan's Craziest TV Gameshows." Individual tickets are now available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

Concert film BTS Permission to Dance on Stage - Seoul: Live Viewing in Pittsburgh, March 12.

The BTS concert film BTS Permission to Dance on Stage - Seoul: Live Viewing will play in Pittsburgh on March 12.

‘BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE -SEOUL’, a performance for BTS and ARMY to dance together live. Join us as BTS and ARMY become one once again with music and dance in this unmissable live concert experience broadcast from Seoul to cinemas around the world! ‘BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE’ is the latest world tour series headlined by 21st century pop icons BTS, featuring powerful performances and the greatest hit songs from throughout their incredible career. The earlier Los Angeles shows were seen by approximately 813,000 people across the four sold-out shows, making them one of the most successful shows in 2021. Don’t miss ‘BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE -SEOUL: LIVE VIEWING’ to see RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook on the big screen in your local cinema on Saturday, March 12 only. We don’t need permission to dance~♬

Tickets are not yet on sale, but the movie will play at 4:30 and 8:30 pm at the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monaca, Monroeville, and Robinson. Additional theaters are likely to be announced later.

2021 Japanese film Drive My Car (ドライブ・マイ・カー) to remain in Pittsburgh through February 24.

The acclaimed 2021 Japanese film Drive My Car (ドライブ・マイ・カー) which opened in Pittsburgh on January 20, will remain at the Harris Theater through February 24. A brief synospis from a December 7 NPR review:

The story follows a middle-aged Tokyo stage actor named Kafuku, superbly played by Hidetoshi Nishijima. He's a calm, mild-mannered guy who's been married for two decades to a screenwriter named Oto. We get a sense of their mutual devotion when we see Kafuku driving around in his bright red Saab, rehearsing his lines by listening to audio tapes that Oto has painstakingly recorded for him.

But their relationship is more complicated than it appears. Years ago, Kafuku and Oto experienced an agonizing loss that has led her to find solace — and perhaps something more — in relationships with other men. Kafuku has deep compassion for his wife, which doesn't make her betrayal any less painful. And then another tragedy strikes when Oto dies suddenly.

The Harris Theater is located in downtown's Cultural District (map), and tickets are available online or at the door.

Martial Arts Day with Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, April 17.

April 17 is Martial Arts Day at PNC Park, when the Pirates play the Washington Nationals.

The first 1000 instructors and students to register will be invited to attend a special warning track ceremony on the field to recognize the Martial Arts Community. Each Martial Arts Institution is encouraged to wear their uniform to the game!

See the above flyer for additional information, and contact your school to see if it is participating.

2021 Japanese film Drive My Car (ドライブ・マイ・カー) in Pittsburgh (again) from March 20.

In addition to its current run at the Harris Theater (through February 17), the acclaimed 2021 Japanese film Drive My Car (ドライブ・マイ・カー) will play in Pittsburgh from March 20 as part of "Oscar Movie Week." A brief synospis from a December 7 NPR review:

The story follows a middle-aged Tokyo stage actor named Kafuku, superbly played by Hidetoshi Nishijima. He's a calm, mild-mannered guy who's been married for two decades to a screenwriter named Oto. We get a sense of their mutual devotion when we see Kafuku driving around in his bright red Saab, rehearsing his lines by listening to audio tapes that Oto has painstakingly recorded for him.

But their relationship is more complicated than it appears. Years ago, Kafuku and Oto experienced an agonizing loss that has led her to find solace — and perhaps something more — in relationships with other men. Kafuku has deep compassion for his wife, which doesn't make her betrayal any less painful. And then another tragedy strikes when Oto dies suddenly.

It is scheduled to play at the AMC Loews Waterfront on March 20, 22, and 24, and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless and Robinson on the 22nd and 24th. The shows are in Japanese with English subtitles, and tickets are available online.

Vietnamese-language discussion on poems for children with Pittsburgh-based Eduling, February 19.

Eduling International Academy is hosting a Vietnamese-language online discussion with two poets and a third writer on writing poetry for children. "Làm thơ cho thiếu nhi" will take place on Facebook live on February 19 at 8:30 pm EST (February 20 at 8:30 am Hanoi).

If you know Vietnamese and would like to listen to two poets from Vietnam and a writer from the US talking about writing poems for children, join this free event. The event will be live on Facebook: https://fb.me/e/236eYkxj8. You can also register to join it on Zoom by completing this form: www.tinyurl.com/edulingevent. This free event is organized by Eduling International Academy and H&L Books, which are located in Pittsburgh.

Xin mời các bạn biết tiếng Việt tham gia buổi chia sẻ về thơ thiếu nhi với PGS-TS-Nhà thơ Phạm Văn Tình, TS-Nhà thơ Phạm Đình Ân, và TS Linh Phùng. Buổi chia sẻ sẽ được phát live trên Facebook ở trang này: https://fb.me/e/236eYkxj8 nhưng nếu bạn muốn vào Zoom để giao lưu nhiều hơn thì xin đăng kí tại đây: www.tinyurl.com/edulingevent. Buổi chia sẻ được tổ chức bảo Eduling International Academy và H&L Books (www.eduling.org/hl) từ Pittsburgh.

A Virtual Reading with Jane Wong, in Conversation with Diana Khoi Nguyen, February 10 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of English will host "A Virtual Reading with Jane Wong, in Conversation with Diana Khoi Nguyen" online tonight, February 10.

Jane Wong is the Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series' Virtual Writer-in-Residence this season, spending a week working with Pitt students and friends, and sharing her work in a reading on Thursday, February 10th, at 7:30. She'll also converse with Diana Khoi Nguyen about poetry and art, and take questions from the audience. This webinar is free and open to the public. No registration is required, and audience members will not be visible.

Jane Wong is the author of How to Not Be Afraid of Everything from Alice James Books (2021) and Overpour from Action Books (2016). Her debut memoir, Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City, is forthcoming from Tin House in 2023. She is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Western Washington University. Her poems can be found in places such as Best American Nonrequired Reading 2019, Best American Poetry 2015, American Poetry Review, POETRY, AGNI, The Kenyon Review, New England Review, and others. Her essays have appeared in places such as McSweeney's, Black Warrior Review, Ecotone, The Common, The Georgia Review, Shenandoah, and This is the Place: Women Writing About Home. A Kundiman fellow, she is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize and fellowships and residencies from the U.S. Fulbright Program, Artist Trust, Harvard’s Woodberry Poetry Room, the Fine Arts Work Center, Bread Loaf, Hedgebrook, Willapa Bay, the Jentel Foundation, the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, Loghaven, and others. Her first solo art show “After Preparing the Altar, the Ghosts Feast Feverishly” was exhibited at the Frye Art Museum in 2019. Her artwork will also be a part of “Nourish,” an exhibition at the Richmond Art Gallery in 2022.

The virtual event runs from 7:30 to 9:00 pm and is free and open to the public.

1957 Akira Kurosawa film Throne of Blood (蜘蛛巣城) at Row House Cinema, from February 11.

1957 Akira Kurosawa film Throne of Blood (蜘蛛巣城) will play at the Row House Cinema from February 11, part of a Shakespeare film series.

Akira Kurosawa retells Macbeth by replacing lords and kings with samurai and emperors in this rendition set in medieval Japan. Brutal, suspenseful, and visually stunning — this is by far one of the best Shakespeare adaptations ever made for the screen.

Ticket and showtime information is available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

"Tigress - Lunar Offerings" Pop-Up Art Exhibition / AAPI Celebration, February 5 at Seafoam.

"Tigress - Lunar Offerings," a Pop-Up Art Exhibition / AAPI Celebration, will be held on February 5.

*** Please note this is a masked and vaxxed event ***

A pop-up art exhibition and AAPI community celebration!

Featuring visual art, performances, a live DJ, an interactive cookie table and a community altar where folks are invited to bring items to release and receive.

Cookie table hosted by Jasmine Cho of Yummyholic. Quantity is limited and first come, first served. People are invited to meditate on what kind of sweetness they want to amplify into their lives while decorating their own cookies honoring the Year of the Tiger. Free but donations to OCA Pittsburgh will be encouraged and collected.

Performances, a community moon song, and an open mic for the AAPI community will begin at 7pm.

Featured artists include:

- April Brust
- Anne Chen
- Bonnie Fan
- Caroline Yoo
- Hannah Colen
- Jasmine Cho
- Karen Lue
- Lauren Nakamura
- Lena Chen
- Lexie D
- Sara Tang
- Stephanie Tsong

..and more

It runs from 5:00 to 10:00 pm at SEAFOAM in Brighton Heights (map).

2021 Japanese film Drive My Car (ドライブ・マイ・カー) to remain in Pittsburgh through February 17.

The acclaimed 2021 Japanese film Drive My Car (ドライブ・マイ・カー) which opened in Pittsburgh on January 20, will remain at the Harris Theater through February 17. A brief synospis from a December 7 NPR review:

The story follows a middle-aged Tokyo stage actor named Kafuku, superbly played by Hidetoshi Nishijima. He's a calm, mild-mannered guy who's been married for two decades to a screenwriter named Oto. We get a sense of their mutual devotion when we see Kafuku driving around in his bright red Saab, rehearsing his lines by listening to audio tapes that Oto has painstakingly recorded for him.

But their relationship is more complicated than it appears. Years ago, Kafuku and Oto experienced an agonizing loss that has led her to find solace — and perhaps something more — in relationships with other men. Kafuku has deep compassion for his wife, which doesn't make her betrayal any less painful. And then another tragedy strikes when Oto dies suddenly.

The Harris Theater is located in downtown's Cultural District (map), and tickets are available online or at the door.

Tadao Arimoto and "Woodworking and Japanese Design," March 3 with Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania.

The Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania will host Tadao Arimoto and his talk "Woodworking and Japanese Design" on March 3.

When wooden furniture is art, it becomes a conversation between nature and the craftsperson, harmonizing the inherent qualities of natural materials with the vision of the designer. Tadao Arimoto, a woodworker based in Pittsburgh, will share his unique technique and philosophy honed from a background in design with decades of experience using traditional Japanese and modern tools on American woods.
. . .
Tadao Arimoto is a woodworker living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Before arriving in the United States, Tadao studied industrial design at the International Design Institute in Kyoto. For the past 40 years, he has practiced his craft in Pittsburgh and has often travelled to attend and teach domestic and international workshops.

In recent years Tadao has contributed works to local universities, presented his works at national events, and been recognized as a Master Visual Artist by the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. Tadao's focus has shifted from private works to larger and more public commissions, including a bench commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the Pittsburgh Sakura Project.

It will be held at Threadbare Cider House on Spring Garden Ave. (map) from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Registration is required.

Lunar New Year Virtual Event with Pitt's Institute of International Studies in Education, February 8.

The University of Pittsburgh's Institute of International Studies in Education will hold a Lunar New Year Virtual Event on February 8.

The Institute for International Studies in Education (IISE) invites the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) and the School of Education (SOE) communities to our virtual celebration of the Lunar New Year 2022. Please join us and share your own story about the Lunar New Year. There will be opportunities to win gift cards during our fun games!

This Zoom event is co-sponsored by the Asian Studies Center (ASC) and School of Education Council for Graduate Students in Education (CGSE)

It begins at 9:00 am EST and registration is required.

Eric Nam in Pittsburgh, February 16.

Korean-American singer Eric Nam will perform in Pittsburgh on February 16. Tickets for the all-ages show at Mr. Smalls Theater in Millvale are currently still available.

"The Chinese Laundrymen of Squirrel Hill" presentation by Squirrel Hill Historical Society, February 8.

Tom Yee Laundry in Homestead, circa 1925.
The Squirrel Hill Historical Society will present Tammy Hepps and her discussion on "The Chinese Laundrymen of Squirrel Hill" on February 8.

Homestead Jewish historian Tammy Hepps, homesteadhebrews.com, will discuss the traumatic dispersion of Chinese laborers after the transcontinental railroad was built, examining their lives as laundrymen in context the microcosm of Squirrel Hill and Homestead.

For much more information on early Chinese residents in the area, and the context, see this well-researched article from the Homestead Hebrews website, whence the photograph of Tom Yee Laundry in Homestead comes.

The talk begins at 7:30 pm and at the Church of the Redeemer at 5700 Forbes Ave. (map).

Pitt's Department of Music presents Yun Emily Wang and "Listening Incommensurably: Sounding 'out' as homonationalist double-bind in Toronto’s Queer Taiwanese Diaspora" as part of Visiting Scholar Series, March 31.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of Music will host Dr. Yun Emily Wang and her talk "Listening Incommensurably: Sounding 'out' as homonationalist double-bind in Toronto’s Queer Taiwanese Diaspora" of Duke University on March 31.

In this paper I analyze two ethnographic moments of sounding “out” among a group of queer Taiwanese immigrants in Toronto by tracking the incommensurables in each instance.

The first case study took place in a private home in 2014, when my interlocutors exchanged stories of navigating racism in North American queer culture and the ways in which Taiwan’s pending legalization of same-sex marriage produced polarizing family dynamics stretching across the Pacific Ocean. This discussion of intersectional politics was soundtracked by an electronic dance music track consisting of an auto-tuned anti-queer Christian sermon that had gone viral in Taiwan a few months prior, and my interlocutors interacted with the track as non-verbal commentaries that complemented the discussion. The second followed Taiwanese Supreme Court’s marriage equality ruling in 2017, when my interlocutors marched in Toronto’s annual Pride Parade. They broadcasted Mandopop queer club anthems with amplifiers on a small hand truck and invited parade bystanders to “party along” and celebrate Taiwan, drowning out the other queer Asian groups. In such politically charged moments of collective listening, singing along, and dancing, my interlocutors engaged with multiple sonic publics that participated in what Jasbir K. Puar calls “homonationalism-as-assemblage” (2015), the processes through which nation states claim sovereignty through queer-friendliness at the expense of the racially and economically marginalized.

Investigating the incommensurabilities between Canadian and Taiwanese queer politics, between sounding and listening, between openness toward an emergent Asian Canadian queer futurity and its own foreclosures, ultimately, I demonstrate the necessity of failures and complicity in efforts toward an otherwise world.

The virtual event runs from 4:00 to 5:30 pm, and will be available on Zoom for Pitt students, faculty, and staff, and on Youtube to the rest of the viewing public.